Tag Rugby Trust kick off in Accra

The GRFU in partnership with UK-based charity the Tag Rugby Trust (TRT) is spearheading a new schools rugby programme starting in the Madina area of Accra. With generous support from NMS Infrastructure Limited, the Tag Rugby Trust and the GRFU have trained over 40 local teachers and Ghanaian rugby officials in Tag Rugby, and have entered eight schools in Madina to bring the sport to a whole new generation.

Tag Rugby is a non-contact sport which girls and boys, children and adults can play together on an equal basis. The Tag Rugby Trust has run school programmes in many countries including Uganda, Zambia, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Mexico and India. They have a unique approach to the sport, concentrating on using rugby to develop key life skills in children and teachers, while building team and community spirit.

Ex-women’s rugby England Captain Catherine Spencer, who has successfully captained the team to Six Nations victory seven times in addition to winning successive World Cups spoke about the Tag Rugby Trust. ‘You have the opportunity to really change lives, but honestly, bringing the sport to children around the world, who perhaps have not had the same advantages as me, has really been life changing for me as well.’

Gifty Annan-Myers, the chairman of the Ghana Rugby Association, has been key to the organisation of this programme. Working tirelessly over the years to grow, support and develop the sport of rugby in Ghana, she is fully behind the Tag Rugby project. She has supported both NMSI and the TRT in getting people involved in the programme and facilitated the launch of the project at the finals of the rugby league on the 9^th February.

Thanks to Gifty and her team, the TRT have worked with over 30 school teachers in eight schools, are training nearly 250 Ghanaian school children in Tag Rugby, in the hope that these will be the stars of the future in Ghana Rugby.

The culmination of this initial 10-day programme will be on Friday 14^th February at Faith Baptist Community School, Madina. NMSI and GRFU have organised an eight school tournament which will be held from 8 am in the school grounds. The participating schools will compete with their best players to win the Tag Rugby trophy. GRFU and NMSI believe that this programme will kick start junior rugby in Madina and beyond. Damian Malins, NMSI Ghana Country Director said, ‘We have been embedded in Ghanaian rugby since we started working here. We have run similar programmes in schools in Teshie and Kanda and we hope these efforts, along with this TRT programme in Madina, will start to bond together and bolster the GRFU. We will continue to work hard alongside Gifty as the Ghanaian team grows stronger with our support and the dedication of the team and players.’